1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-photography apparatus for making portraits for identification documents, such as a passport or a license. In particular, the present invention is a self-photography apparatus which can make photographic portraits including a facial image of a standardized size.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a mechanically readable passport (MRP) has been introduced. Such a device requires that the standard of identification photographs, or portraits, necessary for the application for a passport be changed. According to the new standard, the identification photograph should have a frame size of 44 mm.times.35 mm in length A and width B, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The size of a facial image within the frame, that is, the length C from the crown of the head to the chin, should be 27.+-.2 mm. The length D from the left margin of the frame to the center of the facial image should be 17.+-.2 mm, and the length E from the top margin of the frame to the crown of the head of the facial image should be 7.+-.2 mm.
A conventional self-photography apparatus for making identification portraits, such as disclosed in JPA 1-193824, is sectioned into an exposure room and a photographic processing room. A person who requires the portrait sits on a chair to bring his or her eyes reflected in an exposure window in accordance with a position indicated by eye marks. Thereafter, a given amount of currency or coins are inserted into the apparatus and a start button is actuated. Then, a photography system accommodated in the photographic processing room is activated to automatically perform photographing and photofinishing.
As a result, for example, a photographic print including four identical facial images is produced if a lens cluster consisting of four lenses arranged in a 2.times.2 matrix is used in a known manner.
Because the conventional self-photography apparatus is not designed to make photographs in accordance with the new standard, it is possible that the size of facial image does not fit with the new standard if the actual size of the subject's face is too large or too small.